1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to coupling of a carbon dioxide gas cylinder in a refrigerator equipped with an apparatus for producing carbonated water.
2. Description of the Related Art
A refrigerator is a home appliance including a storage chamber to store food, and a cold air supplier to supply cold air to the storage chamber in order to keep food fresh. To satisfy consumer demand, such a refrigerator may be provided with an icemaker to make ice, and a dispenser to allow the user to take water or ice out of the refrigerator from outside of the refrigerator without opening a door.
The refrigerator may also be provided with a carbonated water production apparatus for producing carbonated water. The carbonated water production apparatus includes a carbon dioxide gas cylinder storing high-pressure carbon dioxide gas, and a carbonated water tank to produce carbonated water through mixing of carbon dioxide gas with water.
Carbonated water produced in the carbonated water tank may be connected to an external dispensation space via a dispenser in order to allow the user to retrieve carbonated water from outside of the refrigerator without opening the door.
In order to check an internal state of the carbonated water tank which produces and discharges carbonated water, for handling of carbonated water, it is necessary to install a sensor capable of sensing an internal state of the carbonated water tank. When the sensor is directly coupled to the carbonated water tank, or lines to guide carbonated water, clean water, and carbon dioxide gas, for introduction and discharge thereof, are directly coupled to the carbonated water tank, coupling areas may exhibit weak resistance to pressure or water leakage may occur at the coupling areas.
Meanwhile, since high-pressure carbon dioxide gas is introduced into the carbonated water tank, and carbonated water is stored in the carbonated water tank, the carbonated water tank is typically made of a material exhibiting high resistance to pressure and rust. When the sensor or lines are directly coupled to the carbonated water tank, which is made of the above-mentioned material, it may be difficult to obtain firm coupling.